NASA's 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge is advancing the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing for deep space exploration. The competition is currently in Phase 2: Level 3, with teams competing for $500,000 in prize money. Teams will be 3-D printing structural habitat pieces Aug. 24-26 in front of a judges’ panel and the public. The samples will then be crush-tested and evaluated, and teams will be awarded prize money for successful completion of competition objectives.

Media are invited to attend the live competition events and the awards ceremony, to talk to the finalists, winners, judges and NASA personnel. Jim Reuter, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for programs in the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), and astronaut Don Thomas will be in attendance and available for interviews upon request.

Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, is NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge partner, and Caterpillar Inc. is a sponsor and site host. All challenge activities will take place at the Caterpillar Edwards Demonstration and Learning Center, at 5801 N. Smith Road in Edwards, Illinois.

The 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge offers a $2.5 million total prize, and challenges teams to create 3-D printers capable of creating large-scale, habitable structures using materials that would be available on the surface of Mars and recyclables.

The teams competing in Phase 2: Level 3 are:

MoonX Construction of Seoul, South KoreaCTL Group Mars of Skokie, IllinoisFormForge of Oregon State University, CorvallisFoster + Partners | Branch Technology of Chattanooga, TennesseePennsylvania State University of University Park

Schedule of events:

Thursday, Aug. 24

Media opportunity by request.

Teams will 3-D print cylinders and beams from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 25

Media opportunity 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Teams will 3-D print domes, and their cylinders and beams will be stress- tested from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.NASA Astronaut Don Thomas will be available for media interviews from 9-9:30 a.m.Bradley University and Caterpillar will host Education Day, with nearly 300 area students attending.

Saturday, Aug. 26

Media opportunity 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

NASA Astronaut Don Thomas will be available for media interviews from 9-9:30 a.m.

3D-printed domes will be stress-tested from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Awards ceremony will be from 3-5 p.m. Media welcome; teams and challenge personnel will be available for interviews.

Bradley University and Caterpillar will host a Community Day, with more than 800 visitors expected.

Members of the news media who wish to attend should contact Janet Anderson at 256-724-0314 or janet.l.anderson@nasa.gov for credentials.

NASA’s Centennial Challenges program is part of the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, and is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. STMD uses challenges to gather the best and brightest minds in academia, industry and government to drive innovation and enable solutions in important technology focus areas.

For more information about the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/3DPHab

For more information about other challenges and prize opportunities with NASA, visit: